In past drafts, the Green Bay Packers have been content with taking players early who will be more of a developmental project than an instant-impact selection. Names like Jordan Morgan, Lukas Van Ness, and even Jordan Love come to mind.

This year, the Packers may need to pivot and aim toward taking more players who can slot in immediately. Jack Sawyer from Ohio State could be a perfect fit.

During his four years in Columbus, Sawyer was a havoc-wrecker for the Ohio State defense. Every summary of Sawyer’s play or coaches’ remarks on him seemingly bring up his insane motor and his will to win.

He’s not the most twitchy edge rusher in this draft, so most experts slot him as a late first or early second-round pick. What Sawyer has going for him is that he projects to be a player who can slide right into a role from Day 1 in the NFL.

Green Bay could certainly use that.

The Packers hired DeMarcus Covington as their new defensive line coach after parting ways with Jason Rebrovich this offseason. Covington must get Rashan Gary on a consistent track and unlock Lukas Van Ness. Adding a piece like Sawyer to the equation would make life a hell of a lot easier.

Sawyer racked up 4.5 sacks alone during Ohio State’s sprint to a National Championship. His highlights included a scoop-and-score defensive touchdown where he sacked Texas’ Quinn Ewers and then raced the other way for a game-sealing 83-yard touchdown.

Ryan Day sang Sawyer’s praises after the semifinal win over the Longhorns.

I can’t say enough about Jack Sawyer. He’s a guy who loves being a Buckeye, he loves his teammates. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. He’s a captain. He’s everything that we could possibly ask for in a captain. To make a play like that in that moment. We talked about before the game, you wanna leave a legacy behind? You become a legend. He just became a legend at Ohio State.

Legend status is hard to come by, but nobody questions Sawyer’s worthiness in Ohio. And Sawyer’s versatility at the next level may pique Brian Gutekunst’s interest.

Sawyer doesn’t have the quickest burst and isn’t the most athletic edge rusher in his class. However, he could slide inside in the NFL. And if there’s one well-known thing about the Packers, they cherish versatility.

According to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, NFL teams could also use Sawyer on the interior of a defensive front.

(Sawyer) locates the football and racks up tackles when runners near his gaps. He’s a force-based rusher using strong hands, a relentless motor, and a pocket-caving charge to run up pressure totals, but his rush lacks quickness. He could see more interior rush opportunities for shorter trips into the pocket. Sawyer is suited for box-based football, which could cap his pro ceiling, but his demeanor, toughness and activity level provide a higher floor.

Sawyer’s ready-now play could be a boost for the Packers, who are looking for contributors as they ready themselves, in the words of their general manager, to start competing for championships.

Green Bay is searching for solutions after not seeing much success rushing four in Year 1 under defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. They failed to address this need in free agency and will push chips into the center of the table, hoping Van Ness rapidly improves and Gary gives them balanced play.

Sawyer could release some of that pressure yet wouldn’t need to be an every-down player immediately. Given what Green Bay has elsewhere, it’s doubtful that people will discuss his readiness in his rookie season.

From Green Bay’s perspective, Sawyer checks so many boxes. He has a good head on his shoulders, a hunger to succeed, and a motor to match it. He was a team captain at Ohio State who always seemed to make the big play when one was required. Any team would sign up for that type of prospect.

There are other options and positions to consider for Green Bay. Perhaps in a dream scenario, Sawyer drops to Round 2, and they can pluck him there. It wouldn’t be ideal for the player, but it would be for the organization.

Edge rusher remains a heavy topic of discussion in Green Bay because of the uneasiness many feel about relying on Van Ness to surprise in 2025 and Gary to regain his traction. Drafting Sawyer would help alleviate those concerns and give the Packers a plug-and-play option instead of a draft-and-develop guy.